ULAKUA. ■ 257 



naked, or partially covered with a narrow fringe but little 

 better than no covering at all, not above four inches wide, 

 and called lavalava. The men were also either naked, or 

 with a band round their loins, to which was attached a fan- 

 tastic appendage that according to their views is modest.^ 

 They have thick, bushy, woolly hair stained yellow with 

 lime, and are not so ugly as the Tanna or Eramanga people. 



On returning to the beach we came upon a stream which 

 might almost be called a river, where we were glad to 

 quench our thirst. Besides some ferns and a handsome 

 black lizard, I brought back from this trip three species of 

 parrots, of which one was so remarkable, by the brilliancy 

 and variety of its colours, that I must devote a word or two 

 to it. The top of the head was black, the beak red ; on 

 each side of the neck a spot of black coming down to a 

 beautiful yellow ring on the breast ; the back of a deep red ; 

 a bright red from the throat to the tail ; wings of a beautiful 

 green with pale red on the inside, and on the point of the 

 pinion a patch of a very pretty hght blue; tail feathers green ; 

 feet black ; feathers on the legs also green ; eyes pale orange 

 in both male and female. On opening the stomach of this 

 bird, I found in it small red seeds and caterpillars. 



About half-past five we returned to our boats, on oiu' way 

 to the ' Cura^oa,' stopping, as Ave went, alongside the 

 ' Southern Cross,' where the Bishop obligingly refreshed us 

 with wine and biscuits. 



' It will be found figured at p. 332 of Erskine, as worn bj the men 

 of Vate. 



